I had dinner with a friend last week and asked him, “What’s your favorite vegetable?
“Asparagus,” he said without flinching.
“Really? You don’t mind that it makes your pee smell funny?”
“No, I love that, man.”
Go figure.
For the longest, I didn’t dare try asparagus and funny-smelling pee was the least of it. But I’ve learned to like asparagus in spite of that peculiar side effect. So I was eager to try a slow-cooking method that I saw in the Times last week.
I made it last night and it was tasty. Props to Melissa Clark for the article.
[Photo credit: Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times]
haha that must have been a funny conversation to over-hear at a restaurant.
yeah i stayed away from asparagus for many years - but though it's not my favorite veggie i do like it a lot.
there is something about asparagus and prosciutto together that is really good.
i also read once that not everyone's pee smells after eating asparagus - only those people who are able to break down the asparagus.
Oh, man, I love asparagus. Cooked almost any method, as long as it isn't too fussy. I agree, ms. Oct., that it has an affinity for prosciutto. Yum. We're growing a bunch now (not prosciutto!). It takes years to get a good bed of asparagus.
Grilling is probably my favorite method, if the spears are on the thick side; just steaming for the very thin ones.
The affect on the smell of my urine is not a big issue for me, and I find it a bit disturbing, Alex, that you are so concerned about it...
(The Rays have finished pounding the daylights out of Lackey and are now taking aim at Scott Atchison.)
LOL. Nah, I got over that. LOL
Great with salty ham, you are right. And wonderful with tarragon too.
Whew!
Also, in risotto. Mmmmm.
YUCK!!!
[2] Agree on the grilling & steaming. My mom is allergic to many raw fruits & veggies, so growing up most of the veggies had the shit boiled out of them, making them tasteless. Only after college, out on my own when I started cooking them myself did I experiment with grilling, steaming, stir frying, etc. Much better those ways.
what's your favorite vegetable, alex? i think mine is cauliflower right now. or broccoli or kale. but if you count sweet potatoes, which i think is unfair, it's that. and what about edamame or other legumes? are chickpeas a vegetable? what about other fruits commonly called vegetables like tomatoes and zucchini?
Probably carrots only because it's the veggie I eat most.
[7]
(head explodes)
My faves (no particular order):
Zucchini
Eggplant
Mushrooms
Peas
Garbanzos
Fresh-picked corn
Red Peppers (raw or roasted)
Sun-dried tomatoes
favorite veggie = brussels sprouts